Thanksgiving meals and where to find them

The holiday season can be a tough time of year. Thanksgiving and Christmas are in back-to-back months. Money is tight, and meals are hard to come by. The Poverello House helps with meals through Papa Mike’s Cafe.

The Cafe is a place for people who need a quick meal or a sense of normalcy. The Cafe has been open for just under two years. It is run like a normal restaurant; people order their food and then receive it at their tables. The menu is changed out daily to keep a fresh variety of foods.

Kristina Flores, senior director of development and communications, wants the Poverello House to be a place for everyone.

“We provide services for anyone that comes to our campus, whether it’s individuals, families, seniors. We’re a no-questions-asked facility. Anyone is welcome,” said Flores.

People were able to write what they were thankful for inside Papa Mike’s Cafe. The kitchen requires a whole team to run smoothly, but is led by Executive Chef Ashley McPherson. She and her staff helped prepare a Thanksgiving feast.

“We plan on doing turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, and gravy. We’re going to do a green bean casserole. We’re going to do some type of yam thing. It’s kind of a secret right now. We’re playing with it,” said McPherson.

Papa Mike’s Cafe doesn’t prepare the food alone.

“We get a lot of donated goods every single day, and we go out there and go through them and see what we can utilize, whether it’s for that specific day or something coming up,” said McPherson.

Both Papa Mike’s and The Poverello House will continue to help those in the community.